Baseball glove



H. DEN KERT BASEBALL GLOVE Jan. 31, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

H. DENKERT BASEBALL GLOVE Jan. 31, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1964 FIG. 3

United States Patent States Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 415,364 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-19) The present invention relates tobaseball gloves. It is an object of the invention to provide a baseball glove which affords increased protection to the fingers and reduces the danger of injury by the impact of a baseball that is being caught.

It is a further object of the invention toprovide an improved baseball glove having a larger catching area and increased firmness so as to provide greater ease and certainty in fielding and catching balls. The baseball glove in accordance with present convention is particularly effective in fielding grounders.

The objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment. in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a baseball glove in accordance with the invention comprising an outer shell and an inner lining.

FIG. 2 is the front view of the lining with the outer shell removed and with padding portions shown in place on the lining.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the lining.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section taken approximately on t the line 4-4 in FIG. 1 and,

FIG. 5 is a partial section taken approximately on the line 55 in FIG. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the glove comprises an inner lining 1 and an outer shell 2 which receives and covers the lining. The lining comprises a palm portion 3, a partially open back portion 4, a thumb portion 5, and four finger portions 6, 7, 8, and 9, adapted respectively to receive the fore finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger of a wearer. The thumbportion and the finger portions 6 to 9 radiate from the palm portion 3 and back portion 4 of the lining and each has a front and back portion 4 of the lining and each has a front and a back suitably joined together, for example by seams 10. Other seams 11 join base portions of the pieces forming the thumb and fingers to form the back of the lining having an opening 12. Exposed edges are suitably finished, for example by a binding 13. It will be noted that the lining has a separate finger receiving portion for each of the fingers of the wearer, as distinct from a mitt or other glove in which two or more fingers are received in the same compartment or portion of the glove.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, portions of padding made of felt or other impact cushioning material are provided between the lining and the outer shell of the glove. The padding is shown as comprising a thumb portion 15, a second portion 16 overlying three of the fingers and a portion 17 overlying the little finger. The padding is preferably stitched onto or otherwise secured to the lining so as to assure its being retained in place during the assembly and later use of the glove. The thumb portion 15 of the padding is shown as having an extension 15A which extends at least partially across the front of the cuff portion of the lining. The thumb portion 15 and the little finger portion 17 of the padding are preferably provided with transverse slots 18 to receive lacing as will be described below. While separate padding portions can, if desired, be provided for the fore finger, middle finger and ring finger, it is preferred to have "ice these finger portions made of a single piece of padding which is shown as comprising finger portions 16A, 16B, and 16C integrally joined by a base portion 16D. When the padding for the three fingers, namely the fore finger, middle finger and ring finger, is made from a single piece of material, suitable openings are provided to permit lacing to pass between the fingers as will be described below. While such openings can, if desired, comprise a series of separate slots or holes for example like the slots in padding portion 15, theyv are shown in the drawings as elongated slits 19 separating the finger portions of the padding from one another except for the integrally connecting base portion 16D. It will be seen that the little finger portion 17 of the padding is wider than the little finger 9 of the lining and hence extends laterally beyond the lining in a direction away from the thumb of the glove. The lining is further shown as being provided with an appliqued piece of leather or other suitable ma terial 20 which overlies a front portion of the lining as shown in FIG. 2 and is provided with a plurality of slots 21 adapted to receive lacing as will be described below.

The outer shell 2 comprises a palm portion 23, having a wrist portion 23A and a partially open back portion 24, receiving and overlying the palm portion 3 and the back portion respectively of the lining. The shell further has a thumb portion 25 and little finger portion 26 which correspond to and receive'the thumb portion 5 and little finger portion 29 of the lining, including the padding portions 15 and 17. A front panel portion 27 extends outwardly from the palm portion 23 and overlies the three remaining fingers, namely the fore finger 6, middle finger 7, and ring finger 8 of the lining. A back panel portion 28 similarly overlies the backs of the same three fingers. The front panel 27 and the front portions of the thumb 25 and little finger 26 of the shell are preferably formed integrally with the palm portion 23 from a single piece of leather or other suitable material. The front panel 27 and the back panel 28 are suitably joined along their end edges and both side edges, for example by a seam 29. The other portions of the shell are suitably joined by seams 30 in usual or any suitable manner.

The lining fits into the outer shell and constitutes in effect a glove within a glove. When the lining is in place within the outer shell, the front panel 27 and the back panel 28 of the shell are laced together by lines of lacing 31 extending respectively between the fore finger and middle finger and between the middle finger and ring finger of the lining. As will be seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 the lacings 31 are laced back and forth through aligned holes in the front panel 27 and back panel 28 and pass through slits 19 of the padding 16 and between the fingers of the lining. Opposite ends of each of the lacings are suitably secured, for example by knots 32. The portions 31A of the lacing 31 which extend back and forth between the front and back panels and pass between the fingers of the lining are preferably of sufficient length that the panels are not drawn in between the fingers of the lining but extend approximately straight across all three fingers. The outer ends of the panels 27 and 28 are preferably further joined by lacing 33.

The back edges of the shell and corresponding edges of the line around the opening 12 are suitably joined and finished for example by a binding 34. A suitable strap (not shown) joins portions of the glove on opposite sides of the opening 12 in usual manner. At the wrist opening, the front portion of the shell and lining are laced together by lacing 35 passing through eyelets 36. A webbing 37 is laced or otherwise secured between the thumb on one side and the front and back panels 27, 28 on the other and is finished at its outer edge by lacing 38 which is preferably a continuation of the lacing 33 at the outer end edges of the panels 27 and 28. Lacing 40 extending a down the thumb and across the palm of the glove, passes through openings in the front of the outer shell and through slits 18 in padding 15 and slits 21 in the appliqued piece 20 so as to lace the front portions of the shell and lining together and thereby confine a portion of the padding 15A in'the front wrist portion of the glove. In the little finger portion of the glove, lacing 41 is laced back and forth through the front and back walls of the little finger portion of the shell, passing through slots 18 in the little finger portion 17 of the lining and laterally on the outside of thelittle finger portion 9 of the lining. The little finger of the lining is thus confined to a laterally inner portion of the little finger of the shell, while the shell and the padding 17 extend laterally outwardly to form, in effect, a lateral extension 26A of the little finger of the glove. Thus it will be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, that the little finger of the glove in finished form is relatively large. The little finger portion of the glove is connected to the adjacent side edge portions of the panels 27 and 28 by suitable lacing 42. This lacing cooperates with the cut of the gloove to cause the relatively wide little finger portion to slope forwardly as seen in FIG. 4. Hence the relatively fiat surface defined by the front panel 27 of the glove is bounded on one side by the forwardly sloping little finger portion 26 and on the other by the forwardly extending web portion 37 connected to the thumb portion 25- of the glove. The inner portion of the panel 27 merges into a pocket formed by the palm portion of the glove and the padded wrist portion 23A. The panel 27 provides a large surface for catching a ball or for scooping it up from the ground. As the ball passes inwardly to the pocket in the palm of the glove, it is guided by the little finger portion and the webbing 37. The construction of the glove thus facilitates catching and holding a ball either in the air or traveling along the ground. Moreover the front and back panels 27 and 28 enclosing the fore finger, middle finger and the ring finger of the wearer and united by lacing 31 extended between the fingers, provide greater protection for the fingers than would be provided by separate finger portions of a glove. However, since the lining has individual finger portions for each of the weare-rs fingers, the glove is held more securely on the hand and has a better feel than is afforded by a mit. Protection is further provided to the little finger of the wearer by the fact that the little finger is laced to the unified and relatively firm panel portions 27, 28 and is provided with a padded extension 26A which extends laterally beyond the little finger portion of the lining in which the wearers finger is received. The padded little finger portion of the glove also extends outwardly beyond the end of the wearers little finger so as to protect it on the end as well as on the side. The danger of any injury to the fingers of a person wearing a glove in accordance with the present invention is thereby minimized.

In order to hold the glove still more firmly on the hand of the wearer, it is preferably provided with a thumb stall 44 and a little finger stall 45. Each of these stalls is formed of a band of soft leather or other suitable material approximately an inch wide and formed into a loop on the inside of the glove in position to receive the wearers thumb and little finger respectively. End portions of the straps forming the thumb stall 44 and little finger stall 4 5 are cut to form integral lacing extensions 44A, 45A, which passes through the openings in the back portion of the glove to secure the stalls in place.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown in the drawings and is herein particularly described, it is understood that this is only by way of example and that the invention is in no way limited to the illustrated embodiment.

What I claim is:

1. In a baseball glove, the combination of a lining having a palm portion and back portion and a thumb and four separate fingers radiating from said palm and back portions and adapted to receive the thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger respectively of a wearer, an outer shell receiving said lining and having a palm portion, back portion, thumb portion and little finger portion and front and back panel portions overlying and extending continuously across said fiorefinger, middle finger and ring finger only of said lining, padding between said lining and outer shell, means joining said front panel portion and back panel portion with one another along their end edges and along :both side edges, and flexible means extending between said forefinger and middle finger and between said middle finger and ring finger of said lining and connecting said front panel portion with said back panel portion, said panels being spaced apart from one another throughout their lateral extent between said side edges.

2. A baseball glove according to claim '1, in which said padding comprises separate finger portions overlying the fronts of said forefinger, middle finger and ring finger o f the lining and an integral base portion connecting said three finger portions and disposed at the base of said fingers of the lining.

3. A baseball glove according to claim 2, in which said connecting means comprises lacing passing between said forefinger and middle finger and between said middle finger and ring finger of said lining and between said corresponding finger portions of said padding.

4. A baseball glove according to claim 3, in which said little finger portions of the shell is laced to said panels and has a front face inclined forwardly from said front panel portion of the shell and in which webbing connecting the forefinger and thumb portions of said shell is inclined forwardly from said front panel portion and cooperates with said little finger portion and front panel to form a ball-receiving pocket.

5. A baseball glove according to claim 4, in which said padding includes padding overlying the front of the little finger of the lining and extending longitudinally and laterally outwardly beyond said little finger of the lining and in which lacing between front and back portions of the little finger portion of the shell passes through said last mentioned padding and laterally outside said little finger of the lining.

6. A baseball glove comprising a lining having a palm portion, back portion, thumb portion and four separate finger portions adapted to receive the thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and a little finger respectively of a wearer, an outer shell enclosing said lining and having a palm portion, back portion, thumb portion and little finger portion covering corresponding portions of said lining and front and back panel portions each overlying and extending continuously across said forefinger, middle finger and ring finger only of said lining, padding between said lining and outer shell, means joining said front panel portion and back panel portion with one another along their end edges and along both side edges, and lacing connecting said front and back panels along a line between said forefinger and middle finger of the lining and along a line between said middle finger and ring finger of the lining, said lacing passing between said forefinger and middle finger and between said middle finger and said ring finger of the lining and said panels being spaced apart at said lines of lacing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,610 2/ 1959 Den-kert 219 1,000,567 8/ 1911 Whitley 2l9 1,072,697 9/1913 Cameron 2-19 2,636,172 4/ 1953 Stobbe 2l9 3,169,250 2/1965 Heiman 219 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

I. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BASEBALL GLOVE, THE COMBINATION OF A LINING HAVING A PALM PORTION AND BACK PORTION AND A THUMB AND FOUR SEPARATE FINGERS RADIATING FROM SAID PALM AND BACK PORTIONS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE THUMB, FOREFINGER, MIDDLE FINGER, RING FINGER AND LITTLE FINGER RESPECTIVELY OF A WEARER, AN OUTER SHELL RECEIVING SAID LINING AND HAVING A PALM PORTION, BACK PORTION, THUMB PORTION AND LITTLE FINGER PORTION AND FRONT AND BACK PANEL PORTIONS OVERLYING AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY ACROSS SAID FOREFINGER, MIDDLE FINGER AND RING FINGER ONLY OF SAID LINING, PADDING BETWEEN SAID LINING AND OUTER SHELL, MEANS JOINING SAID FRONT PANEL PORTION AND BACK PANEL PORTION WITH ONE ANOTHER ALONG THEIR END EDGES AND ALONG BOTH SIDE EDGES, AND FLEXIBLE MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FOREFINGER AND MIDDLE FINGER AND BETWEEN SAID MIDDLE FINGER AND RING FINGER OF SAID LINING AND CONNECTING SAID FRONT PANEL PORTION WITH SAID BACK PANEL PORTION, SAID PANELS BEING SPACED APART FROM ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THEIR LATERAL EXTENT BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES. 